 Luciana Berger
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Luciana Berger 
        
    
        
    
        To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people commenced an apprenticeship in (a) 1997 and (b) May 2010.
[Official Report, 9 September 2010, Vol. 515, c. 671W.]
Letter of correction from Mr John Hayes:
An error has been identified in the answer given to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger) on 9 September 2010. The number given for people on apprenticeships in 1996/97 was incorrectly given as 75,000 when it should have been 65,000.
The full answer given was as follows:
 Mr Hayes
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Mr Hayes 
        
    
        
    
        The number of apprenticeships in 1996/97 was 75,000 last published in the Statistical First Release on the 24 October 2002, however these data were calculated on a different basis and therefore may not be directly comparable with later years.
Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts for England from 2003/04 to 2008/09. 2003/04 is the earliest year for which comparable data are available and 2008/09 is the latest year for which full-year data are available.
| Academic year | Apprenticeships | 
|---|---|
| 2003/04 | 193,600 | 
| 2004/05 | 189,000 | 
| 2005/06 | 175,000 | 
| 2006/07 | 184,400 | 
| 2007/08 | 224,800 | 
| 2008/09 | 239,900 | 
| Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Source: Individualised Learner Record | 
 Mr Hayes
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Mr Hayes 
        
    
        
    
        The number of apprenticeships in 1996/97 was 65,000 last published in the Statistical First Release on 24 October 2002, however these data were calculated on a different basis and therefore may not be directly comparable with later years.
Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts for England from 2003/04 to 2008/09. 2003/04 is the earliest year for which comparable data are available and 2008/09 is the latest year for which full-year data are available.
| Academic year | Apprenticeships | 
|---|---|
| 2003/04 | 193,600 | 
| 2004/05 | 189,000 | 
| 2005/06 | 175,000 | 
| 2006/07 | 184,400 | 
| 2007/08 | 224,800 | 
| 2008/09 | 239,900 | 
| Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Source: Individualised Learner Record |